Just Part of The Game
by Two Forevers
Summary: You would think with the war over, life would be easier. Well, its not- at least- not really.


"I'm bored" Toph whined. The others sighed. She had been saying that all night. She was lying on the ground of the Western Air Temple; her blind eyes stared with contempt at the ceiling above.

Not much had really changed in the past three years.

Well the war was over, and Zuko was the fire lord. Ty lee had joined the Kyoshi warriors and Mai was slightly happier, considering her joining of the circus. Toph's parents had finally accepted her and begged for her to come home and she refused.

So, not much had really changed, because they were still traveling and there were still those long antagonizing waits between the next adventure.

And she was bored.

She turned her head to the side.

"Any suggestions?" She asked. She felt Sokka nod happily.

"We can play a game!" he exclaimed, obviously excited. He hung his arm over Suki, thinking of what they could do. Toph blushed lightly, remembering her childhood crush on the Water Prince.

Before he was the Water Prince, that is. When he was the wanna-be warrior of the southern water tribe, when he was still goofy and lovable. But her crush had dissipated, her attention focusing on another member of the group. She heard Zuko sigh,

"No Sokka, we're not going to play pin-the-tail-on-the-moose-lion. That came very close to killing us last time."

The other boy groaned and put away the clothe tail.

"Okay then, what do we do?" He asked to nobody in particular.

"Ooh!" Ty lee squealed from somewhere across the small room. "We can play T or D!"

"T or D?" Toph asked with contempt. She really hoped it didn't include makeovers. The girls of the group, namely Suki and Ty lee had a sort of obsession when it came to the tender issue of Toph's neatness- or rather- lack thereof. Katara, on the other hand, knew that it was best not to bother Toph on that issue.

"Truth or Dare." Katara answered quietly. Had the pale eyed girl been able to see, she would have spotted an obvious blush on the older girls face. And had she been paying attention she would have also felt to heart rate of her friends speed up, but she was too focused on her own.

For she, much like the rest of the group, was thinking of what happened in these games; kissing most of the time, embarrassing truths the rest. And if you were unfortunate, some really gross situations would arise for you. But, hey, if she wouldn't be bored anymore, she was game.

"Okay," Toph spoke, breaking the silence, "I'm in." She heard the rest of the Gaang let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. Sokka got up from his position next to Suki and sat down about two inches from Tophs' head. She realized that the game would require her to sit up too. The rest of the group soon followed Sokka's example and Toph was caught in between Katara and him. Zuko was right across from her, with Ty lee on his left and Aang on his right, completing the circle.

"Okay, who's first?" Zuko asked, his voice revealing his disapproval of the game. Ty lee raised her hand.

"Okay, Zuko since you so candidly asked, you're first. Truth or Dare?" She asked.

"Um… Dare. I really don't feel like providing you guys with blackmail material."

"Okay… I dare you to kiss Sokka."

Both boys jaws dropped to the floor and just as they were about to run away in disgust Toph built a wall.

"I might not play this game to often but I think you must do everything you are told. So get to the kissing."

"But-but," the two boys protested feebly "We're both guys!"

"I don't care!" Toph growled, leaving the boys with a feeling that it had more to do with her mysterious crush than with the game. Still, not wanting to face her wrath the boys shut up.

"So…" Ty Lee dragged out, breaking the silence. "Kiss him already!"

Sokka sighed and gave the Fire Lord a quick peck on the lips. With much 'ohs and ahs from the group the water tribe boy deepened the kiss. The fire lord's lips were slightly chapped but still, well, enjoyable. Even if the other boy still stood with his arms crossed and was barely kissing back, Sokka urged the boys lips open and slipped his tongue in. Zuko compliance ended there, though. He wrapped his arms around the dark skinned boy and fought his own into the other boys mouth. After a little bit of tongue fighting, Sokka complied and let the older boy take over. Toph, sensing things getting a little heated, rose an earth wall and separated them, much to their disappointment.

"Right, I'm sure neither of you enjoyed that at all." Toph muttered, a wide grin spread across her face. If she hadn't been blind she would have seen Sokka's cheeks flush a deep red but she felt his heart speed up a bit and his head turn to the side; giving her a good enough answer. She also felt a certain Airbenders' weight shift. Her smile disappeared.

And that certain boy was clutching on to her crushes arm. Her heart sped up, and she was so distracted on not sinking the Avatar into the ground, she barely heard Zuko's reluctant question.

"Um… Suki. Truth or Dare." He really didn't want to be doing this. That kiss with Sokka was- not that it was bad-but…Okay, he enjoyed it. But he would never admit it.

Suki thought for a second.

"Truth." Zuko sighed. Grumbling he asked,

"Who was your first kiss?" He honestly didn't know why he had asked that, but most thoughts were still muddled. Suki thought, racking her brain. Sokka smirked and answered easily.

"Duh- It was me!" Suki blushed and looked down.

"Ah-Actually, it wasn't." She laughed nervously as the Gaang gasped.

"Well," Aang asked, curious, "Who was it?" Suki scratched the back of her neck, blushing furiously.

"His name was Chan. I met him while I was traveling to the ferry ground."

"Son of Admiral Chan?" Zuko demanded, surprised to hear the name of the kid who's party he crashed more than four years before. Suki nodded. Zuko put his head down. "Ew! I just kissed the guy, who kissed the girl, who kissed the guy who kissed my _sister_!" Zuko spit on the ground, trying to get the picture, how ever indirect it was, out of his head.

"Wait!" Sokka exclaimed, realizing something. "That means that I kissed the girl who kissed…. AH!!!!" Sokka panicked and dive bombed to protection, which just so happened to be right on a certain Fire Lord's lap. Zuko pushed him off, growling.

"Okay, let's please continue." Katara laughed, somehow remaining the voice of reason. Sokka sighed and crawled back to his place.

"Who's turn is it?" He asked to nobody in particular.

"Suki's." Toph answered quickly. The group turned to the Kyoshi warrior expectedly. She smiled and turned to Aang. Aang's heart rate quickened, and he clutched Katara's hand. He prayed to the spirits that he would be able to kiss her. Toph felt this movement and her jealousy returned. Suki asked the dreaded question,

"Truth or Dare?" Aang gulped.

"Dare." His voice shook. Nobody noticed the irony of the fact that the man who had single-handedly defeated the Phoenix King was nervous at a game. Suki smiled.

"I dare you…" She paused for dramatic effect. "…To lick Tophs feet!"

Aang pulled back in disgust and began stammering an argument.

"But-I-Ah-The-Uh-Uh- Feet?"

"What?" Toph teased, although her voice held a shadow. "Did you want to kiss Zuzu too?" Aang blushed deep and the Gaang laughed, even Sokka.

The young boy didn't even try to argue as he bent down. Shuddering he stuck his tongue out, and licked the Earthbenders calloused toes. Toph laughed as he arose, trying to keep face.

"Great job, Twinkle Toes!" She exclaimed, glad the boy got what was coming to him. She gave him a huge fake smile and a thumbs up.

She was definitely liking this game.

"Okay. Twinkles turn!" She exclaimed. Aang sighed, still embarrassed.

"Um…"He paused to think of who he could torture next. "Toph" He spoke with finality. "Tru-"

"Dare." Toph stated, cutting him off. Personally she found the first question useless. Aang smiled, happy to get his revenge.

"I dare you to…" He paused unsure what to say. But Toph was already giving her own dare. And he didn't like the suggestion much at all.

"What? Kiss Katara? Okay." She half teased, reveling her true desire.

Yes, Katara was her secret crush. The young Watebender had always captivated her. She was strong and compassionate. Beautiful and natural, fierce and soft, all at the same time. Toph wanted her more than anything, and she hated the fact that Twinkle Toes had a claim on her. She was not a trophy to be won, she was Tophs'. Like a mountain with a secret river, the young Earthbender drew up her quickly diminishing courage, turned to the loving girl…

And slammed her lips onto her friends.

Katara gasped inwardly. She had no idea. And Toph had said nothing, not a word. But before Aang could stutter out a dare, the younger girl had taken the long awaited chance and did what she always wanted too.

But it was a lot softer than it looked. Toph was amazingly gentle for all her strength. Katara did not push her off. Actually, much like her very first kiss she didn't know how to react. But she sensed the girls' yearning and, thinking of it as no more than a game, complied. She pressed her lips back and put her hand on the other girls cheek. Breathing heavily through her nose, she opened her mouth. Toph smiled beneath the kiss and took the opportunity, flicking her tongue in. She breathed in the smell of the girl she was holding, and drew up her courage again. She placed her hand on Katara's hip, loving the feel of it. Had the rest of the group not been watching aptly in stunned silence, the Bei Fong girl would have certainty clutched at those soft round globes that were pushing against her own. She settled for the hip now, and she clutched the Watebender closer. While admittedly she would have dreamed about far more than this in a wilder dream, just the fact that she could hold her was enough.

And feeling that certain Airbenders heart speed up,

Well that was the cherry on the top.

********~~~~^^~~~~********

It was midnight. The game had ended shortly after Toph's big reveal. Nobody quite knew how to top it, although Aang and Sokka did come very close.

And arguably, so did Suki and Ty lee.

It was bittersweet. The others seemed to think of it as no more than a game. Even Zuko kissed Aang without an argument, and quite passionately. But with all that had moved in the night, she was still so far behind her goal.

Because Katara still believed it was a game.

"Stupid!"Toph thought, punching herself. "Why did I chose then to tell her?" But, she reminded herself, she didn't actually tell her. At least not in words.

"Dam it."

********~~~~^^~~~~********

Katara lay in bed, not sleeping of course. Normally she shared the room with a certain blind Earthbender. But Toph had never come in, instead mumbling something about exploring the temple.

Three hours had passed, and still no sign of her. Katara tried to convince herself to get up and find her. But what would she say?

It was just a game?

But did she even feel like that? Even now she traced her fingers on her lips, trying to remember the touch.

To fool around with the same sex was one thing. It was universally practiced. Every sleepover she had been at, she had kissed a girl. But when it was Ty Lee or Suki, it wasn't passionate. It was practice at the most. But Tophs way of kissing was unsettling. She had wanted the other girl in forbidden and strictly tabooed ways.

But perhaps the worst part was, the one that kept Katara standing at the door;

She wanted it too.

Dam it.

********~~~~^^~~~~********

Zuko nearly punched himself. He had let himself kiss and be kissed by boys.

Not only one, but two! His best friends. It didn't matter how often he told himself that it was wrong to be gay, and that everything tonight was a part of the game, he couldn't convince himself.

The boys room was awkward from the moment they had all walked in, nowhere close to tired. Aang quickly drew into a corner, reading some scroll about the previous Avatars. Sokka had his back turned and eyes glazed over, throwing a ball against the wall. And Zuko was resisting the urge to pace around the room. He tried to occupy his thoughts with some pointless task, but the only ones he could think of involved Aang or Sokka in some way. He slinked out of the room, mumbling something about exploring the temple.

Dam it.

********~~~~^^~~~~********


End file.
